About the Christmas Fern
:
The Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides,
occurs in both dry and moist wooded slopes, moist
banks and ravines. It typically grows in a
fountain-like clump to 2' tall and features
leathery, lance-shaped, evergreen (green at
Christmas time as the common name suggests) fronds.
Stocking shape of the pinnae also suggests
Christmas.
Crosiers (young fiddleheads) in spring are
silvery and scaled. Sori appear on the undersides of
the pinnae only at the ends (last 1/3) of the
fronds. Christmas ferns are asymmetrical with a fine
texture and has a moderately dense crown. The
evergreen fronds provide good winter interest for
the landscape. This fern does not spread but the
clumps increase in size over time. These plants
serve as hosts for butterfly larvae
